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Golding Homes took on mhs Homes in a charity football match last week (29 January) at Maidstone FC. The match raised over £2,000 for a local parent support group for children with Type 1 diabetes. 

Golding Homes kicked off their first charity fundraiser of the year against fellow landlords mhs Homes, beating them on penalties after a three-all thriller at the Gallagher Stadium. This event was the first for their new charity, linked to Diabetes UK, which was nominated and voted for by members of staff.

“Every year colleagues at Golding choose a local charity to support with fundraising activities as part of our aim to help our local community” explained Chief Executive Steph Goad. “This year the charity is very close to our hearts, as it’s helping both customers and colleagues, so we’re thrilled to have raised over £2,000 already and are hoping to raise lots more.”

MAPS (Maidstone Area Parent Support Group) helps Maidstone-based parents with children who have Type 1 diabetes, and their ongoing support has made a real positive difference to Carlie Falcus who works in Golding’s Sales team, and whose son Liam McCandeless was rushed to hospital just two weeks before his second birthday.

Carlie talks through her experience: “Everyone remembers diagnosis day and for us Liam simply seemed tired and not himself, but no worse than a cold. Fast forward a few hours and his breathing had got bad, so we contacted 111 and they sent an ambulance who told me they suspected diabetes. I realised how serious it was when we arrived at hospital and a resus team had to be called in. It was terrifying, none of them would confirm that he would be ok. They just kept saying he was seriously ill and if we hadn’t got him to hospital he wouldn’t have survived.”

The hospital confirmed Liam had Type 1 diabetes and he was in a high dependency ward for 3 days. Carlie continues: “We spent six days in hospital as Liam recovered and were visited by the diabetes specialist nurses as well as a dietician. We had to enter a whole new world of counting carbs (food and drink) for everything Liam would consume and inject him with insulin multiple times a day. We also had to learn how to do finger pricks on him to check his blood sugars every couple of hours. I remember leaving hospital with bags of medical equipment, books on Type 1 diabetes and thinking ‘how is this now my life?  How am I going to keep my boy safe?’”

Carlie and her family were put in touch with MAPS after diagnosis and attended a coffee morning. “I turned up with Liam and remember feeling so relieved that these other mums just knew exactly what we were going through. As much as other friends and family have been supportive, they don't live it day and night like we do,” explains Carlie. “The group has been such a huge support and I've made friends for life. It's enabled us to socialise with other families living with Type 1 diabetes and for Liam to make friends with other children living with the condition.”

Liam is now a happy four-year-old, he started school last September and lives life to the full. “Type 1 diabetes is now just part of our family life, but we remain grateful for the invaluable support of MAPS, I’m thrilled Golding will be helping to raise money for them this year” says Carlie.

Families from MAPS attended the match as guest of honour, with the children leading out the teams and taking penalties at half-time in front of colleagues from both Golding Homes and mhs Homes.

Jill Steaton, Head of South East Coast and London for Diabetes UK, said: “Diabetes is serious and living with it can be relentless. We are very grateful to Golding Homes for making us their charity of the year. All the money raised will help the work we do to help people live well with diabetes.”

Golding Homes will be planning more events throughout the year to raise funds for MAPS and you can donate now via Raising money for M.A.P.S (gofundme.com).